Lock seal



June 13, 1950 A. H. SWETT, JR., ETAL 2,511,751

LOCK SEAL I Filed March 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I /0 53.1 /z l4 8 /6 Q 34 2 4 IIIA'IIIIIIIII"' 3' g L j INVENTORS 40 70 28 38 Edward C/Varshal/ and BY ArthurHSwet'QJn A TTORNEY June 13, 1950 A. H. SWETT, JR, ETAL I 2,511,751

LOCK SEAL Filed March 4, 1947 2.She ets-Sheec 2 Fig.8

umom ETERMINAL cusroMERS CLAIM CHECK INVENTORS Edwar C Marsha/l A TTORA/[Y Patented June 13, 1950 Arthur H. Swett, Jr., and Edward C Marshall,

Montclair, N. .J., assignprsto American},Tag 1 Company of New J ersey,Bellevill,fN."J a cor poration of New J rsey Application March 4, 1947, Serial No..-'i32 ,17s

This invention relates to lock seals for use in connection with various articles which it;is desired to guard against opening without detection.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lock seal, the construction of which precludes tampering therewith either before or after its sealing. As a result of such improved construction, the lock seal cannot be unfastened without the destruction of, or at least detectable injury to, the article to which it is afiiixed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tamper-proof lock seal of the type described which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and further objects and advantagesof the invention will appear in the following descrintion of preferred embodiments thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 1 V

Figure 1 is a view in vertical cross-section through one embodiment of the female member of the lock seal; 1 1 1 Figure 2 is a view in vertical cross-section through a complete lock seal device with the male and female parts thereof inlocked relationship, the female part being that shown in Figure 1 after attachment to an article; 1 i

1 Figure 3 is a view in vertical cross-section of an assembled lock seal, the female member thereof being a modification of that shown in Figures land 2; 1 Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 showing a lock seal with a still further modification of the female member;

Figure 5 is a view in vertical cross-section ber of such assembly, which is presently preferred, being of yet another modified form; 1

1 Figure 6 is a view in front elevation of a baggage or luggage tag employing the lock seal of the invention; .1". *jFigure 7 is a view in side elevation of such luga a 1 Figure 8 is a view in rear elevation of the tag shown in Figures 6 and 7;

Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of the tag showing the position which the parts assume when the lock seal is locked; c

Figure 10 is a view in vertical section through a fifth modification of the female member of the lock seal; M 1

Figure 11 is a view in side elevation of a male member for cooperation therewith; and

Figure 12 isa view in cross-section through the axis of the locked seal shown in Figure ,9,- the sp 9 c1aim 1 (crew-319) section being taken along-the line XII-min through an assembled lock seal, the female mem- Figure 9. 1 1 v 1 The lock seal of the invention is shown in Figures 6 to 9, ;inclusive, and Has being used on a luggage tag to prevent the removal of such tag from thearti'cle to which it isafiixed without destroying or at least tearing such article in ade tectablemanner. It is the practice in some railway terminals .to sell such tags or checks tothe porters, who gthen resellthem at a higher price to thecu'stomer, attaching thetag to the luggage piece and giving the customer. the stub or customers claim check detached from the body of the tag. With. prior lock seals employed on such tags, it has been possible, because the structure of such seals permitted access to the locking mechanism, to deform such locking mechanism eitherfbeforelor after theparts of the lock seal Wereputtogether, allowing the lock seal parts to. be separatedlwithout injury to the members to which the. parts thereof have been attached. 'Suclitainpeii'ng could easily be done with a thin instrument, 'such as a pen knife. Thus prior lock seals ,of the type described have failed, at least to some degree, in their intended function of making opening of the lock'seal' detectable. H

"The lock'f'seal' of the present invention, which maybe used to advantage on a great variety of articles, such asenvelopes, price tags, etc., aswell as luggagefchecks; is 'so 'tx ms'tructed that access to the locking mechanism of the lock seal through the female' memb er,. the male member, or the space between such members when they are ass mblti and locked, is prevented. Thus the seal cannotfbe opened unless one or more of its two major; component parts is removed from the arti l" or articles towhich, such parts are attached uch article or articles themselves are in- 'jiii eif or destroyed;

j The first embodiment of the female member shown in Figure 1' is designated generally by the reference character 2. Such member includes a geiierallyannular internal locking member 4, formed of material which can spring somewhat, having an upper frusto-conical portion cut into separate prongs B. The'lower portion of member 4 is formed with a horizontal outwardly extend- .ing flange 8, by which the member is attachedto the-outer i-protective hood or cover membenlll. such cover member has a closed top I 2, vertical cylindrical side walls l4,- and a lower closed flanged portion 16 soformed as to have an ,inwardly facing annular -groove therein. Anattaching eyelet l8;having,a lower cylindricalzportion znxisiatta ed il -member 2 by outwar y directed horizontal flange 22 on the upper end thereof, flange 22 abutting flange 8 of the inner locking member and being tightly gripped within the groove in flange I6 of the cover member, as shown.

In Figure 2 the female member 2 of the Figure 1 is shown atta'ohed to a rnem-ber 24 which may be of cardboard "or the like by hailing the lower eyelet member thrust through a hole 25 in member 24, the lower end of the eyelet beirfg bent into a lower horizontal flanged portion as shown at 26. A male member 28 of the lock seal is shown in locked engagement with the female member. The male {member is *ii'IfiKEdtb a member 40 which may likewise be made of cardboard, by being thrust through a hole 4| I puter edge 14 of such member.

1 horizontal 'oap'lasuch outer protective member being "aflixed to member 24 and to the inner lll'cikih'g member by the horizontal flange 18 in the latter as shown, the ldwr horizontal outwardly directed flange 38 abuttin the underside of member 40. The male member is "retained in such memberflfl by a series of discontiniious 'tangs 12 which --'pier' 5e I'nei'zibr are bent over as shown. The male member 'is provided "with 'a stem er neck "portion {consist- -in gcf a, cylindrical wall portion -30 joined to an libper wall portion 32 of frustoeco'nicalshape. "hit the end of "the stem, specifically at -'the top of 'wall portion 32, there is positioned an annular mean formmg -'a "continuous substantially right al'igular shoulder 34 for cooperation with the esser ends of prongs 6. The -rna1e member {is covered by the closed horizontal -t6p '35 "which prevents access to the meu'mer 34, and prongs t tl'i'roughthe interior {of the rlrfale member.

when male 'membe'r 28is inserted in female member 2, the ercuate portion at the edgeof the top 35 r the male member, upo contact wan -pron cams thein outwardly s'othat-they assume 'asubstantially Vertical "position in the f' pace provide'd for them in cover member "10. The 'male'=member"thii s maybe iriserted 'intothe emale member for substantially its full extent. -Wh'en shoulder "3 'aavanees past the up'pe'r ends -b'f fpr'on'gs 6, however, such prongs, which are de of metal, which is at "least soiiiewldalt springy, spring inwardly ftowardthe 'axisjof the lock seal "to fth'e pos tion shown "in "Figl'iie z, mus firev'e'nti'ng the "where's/er "of j the "inale ih'mber. The three embodiiheritsofjthe lock "seal "of the fiiiv'ention shown n Figures 3, -"4, ena 5, "respectively, are somewhat to be preferred to that shown in Figure "2, sincethe "fmale n emberi's ii itire"protected againsttam'perin'g intliat porft ioninterlockingwithtliememberonwhich'i't is a en. The malenimbe'r in each ortnese emboili'm'e its generally similar to that'shown in Fi'gufe2, with the e'xcption thatthose in Fig- -'*i;f1es"3"and '5 are somewhat shorter than "thate'mpioyeu in Figures '2 anti *4. The same reference characters are used to designate the mjmem'ern- 'b'eis "and "parts thereof ih Figures -2 to 5, in- "ljisive. H v

In 'Figure' 3 -the female member, generally designate i114, has an internal lockingmember 48 :therein, such member having an upper irustoconical portion provided with separate prongs 50. Thelprotective hood or cover member 52 is rprovided zwith an outwardly extending horizontal flange 54' which sea-ts upon member '24 to which Fitis -'attached, 'ar vertical side "wal1 portion-:56, alii'd a generally horizontally eritendirig cap "portion -58. The outer edge'offiange -5'4 is -provid'ed with spaced tangs 60 which extend downwardly -th1'0'l1'gh member 2 Manda're brit l'iol izbintally iirwhich-is provided with a series of spaced tangs 80. Such tan-gs pierce member 24 and then are bntfil'pwardly tightly into contact at 8| with the downwardly concave outer edge portion 14 or the inner-locking member.

In the embodiments 'of the lock seal of the invention -a.'bov'e de'scrib'd, 'as'well as those presenny to be described, the two members to be sealed lie close together "when themale and iemaleme'mber's'of the lock s'e'al are lockingly 'ngage as is evident in Figures z'to 5, inclusive, am 12. In those 'e'inb'o'diinrits shown in *Figurs 3 Y a'nd4, and described I above,"'-wh'ei1'the mare and femaleparts are lockin'gly e'ngaged meau per surfaces of "the inbe'n't end'sfof mange '42 on 'the flaii'ge "3B of the 'male member lie "close 'to lo'wer surfaces of the i'iiben't ends 'of tanes '61! and -80, respectively, 2511 the flanges 5d and "-18, respectively, of the cap -of the female member, and to the lower surface of "the ange '43 and 66, res'pe'ctivemof the lbking member. By reason of such proximity or the 'thus confronting parts of the attaching means for the male and for the fmale i'riembe'r in the embodiments of Figures sand '4 it is diificiiltfif' not"impossible, to insert between them a tool whiehwould 'have any appreciable 'effect in loosening the bent tang's or in prying oatwardly the 'pr'ongs or 'the making member. Furthermore, the fact that "th'e'outr ends of "the-attaching tang's 'on both the male and female members are bent in-' wardlymak'es "it impossible for one, using "such tool, to engage {the-outer ends or such 'tan'gs and even t'ol'oosen them, l'talone'dis'engage them, from the members which they engage and n) 'iwhlch they "fasten the eorie'sp'onding lo'ck Seal Dart.

The construction of th'e'fe'inaleloeking menibr shown inFig'ure '-5 is 'thatwhich is presently preferred because or its 'e'a's'efcnf assembly and the "protection "it affords the attachment of "the female mem'ber bn tlie "r'rfemb'er on which "it is used. Such 'fe'r'n'ale lme'fribl-i'r, generally desi'gnated *84, is pfo'vided with "the inner looking member 86 having the upper frusto-cbni'cal annular section provided with separate pro'n'gs 88. The inner locking member has a bottom hori- Zorn-a1 fian g'e' sn on the outer enu *o f which *are provided spaced tang s 92 which extend "=v'er- 'tially upwardly through member-2 4. 'The outer prote'ctive hood '96 is provided with'a bottom horizontal flange 98 'joined'-on'itso1lter edge to the mmwamly concave portio'n E0 whioh ends i'n the inwardly bent horizontal portion T02. Protective hood 9 6 is further provided with' the oylfndrioal sidewall I-0 3 and-the heiizomai cap l05. The female rr'iember 'i's a'ssenibl'e'd by'placing' the proteetwe heoa on m'embe'r 2"4 coaxially in; the inner locking membei within' it, such last member being forced upwardly so that tangs 92 pierce member 24 and-are clinched over as shown in the cavity formed by the portions I and I02 of the protective hood.

A typical manner of use of the lock seal of the present invention is shown here in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, and 12. The luggage check or tag shown has a main body portion I04 on the bottom of which is attached the separable claim check I06, the paper preferably being scored between such parts. The tongue member I08, formed separately, is attached at its bottom end I01 to the upper end of body portion I04 by means of the female member I I0 of thelock seal assembly, which has its open end facing outwardly of the paper in Figure 6. Carried on the upper end I09 of the tongue is the male member 2 of the lock seal assembly, the shouldered stem of such member facing outwardly of the paper in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 9, the tongue I08 maybe looped around an article (not shown) such as the handle of a valise and the lock seal partslocked together. When thus locked the tag cannot be removed except by tearing, tongue I08.

In Figure 10 there is shown a fifth embodiment of the female member, which may be employed with the male member 28 shown in Figure 11 in confronting relationship thereto. Male member 28 is the same as that shown in Figures 2 to 5, inclusive, and its parts are designated by the same reference characters. The female member I I4, shown in Figure 10, is essentially the same as member 2, shown in Figure 2, with the exception that the lower attaching eyelet I26 is integral with the protective cover I22. The inner locking member IIE, having prongs H8 disposed along the frustum of a cone, is provided with the outwardly extending flange I20 which is retained by being clinched in the portion of the cover having the double flange I24. N

t In Figure 12 there is shown in cross-section the lock seal assembly of the parts shown in Figures 10 and 11 in the positions they assume when they are employed in the baggage check illustrated in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, and are locked together. The lower portion of attaching eyelet I26 which has been flanged over the edges of the hole through tongue portion I0'I is designated I28.

, We have fully described preferred embodiments of the lock seal of our invention and a typical mannerof use thereof. It will beunderstood that the lock seal of the invention is capable of considerable variation as to details and that it may be used to advantage with a variety of difierent articles, as indicated. The scope of the invention is, therefore, to be defined by the following claims.

We claim as new the following:

- 1. The combination of a sheet-like member and a female part of a lock seal, the female part comprising a continuous tubular locking member, said locking member having a plurality of upwardly extending prongs afixed thereto at their lower ends, said prongs lyinggenerally on the frustum of a cone so as to extend inwardly toward the axis of the locking member, the prongs. being spaced to provide a shank receiving opening, a protective hood in the form of an inverted cup coaxial with the locking member to cover substantially all but the lower, shank receiving, end of the locking member, and means for connecting the hood to the locking member and to the sheetlike member, said last named means including an outwardly directed flange on the bottom of the hoodiand an outwardly directed 'flangeon: the

bottom of the locking member, the lockingmeniber being inserted upwardly through an aperture in the sheet-like member, the flanges on the hood and locking member being afiixed on opposite sides of the sheet-like member, one of such flanges having spaced tangs piercing such sheet-like member, the outer ends of the tangs contacting and interlocking with the other edge of the other flange. p

2. The combination of a sheet-like member and a female part of a lock seal, the female part comprising a continuous tubular locking member, said locking member having a plurality of upwardly extending prongs aflixed thereto-at their; lower ends, said prongs lying generally on the frustum of a cone so as to extend inwardly toward the axis of the locking member, the prongs being spaced to provide a shank receiving opening, .a protective hood in the form of an inverted cup coaxial with the locking member to cover substantially all but the lower, shank receiving, end of the locking member, and means for connecting the hood to the locking member and to the sheet-like member, said last named means including an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom of the hood and an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom .of the locking member, the locking member being inserted upwardly through an aperture in the sheet-like member, the flange on the hood being positioned on top of such sheet-like member and the flange on the locking member being positioned on the bottom of such sheet-like member, the flange on the hood having spaced tangs downwardly piercing such sheet-like member, the outer ends of the tangs contacting and interlocking with the outer edge of the flange on the locking member.

3. The combination of a sheet-like member and a female part of a lock seal, the female part comprising a continuous tubular locking member, said locking member having a plurality of upwardly extending prongs afiixed thereto at their lower ends, said prongs lying generally on the frustum of a cone so as to extend inwardly toward the axis of the locking member, the prongs being spaced to provide a shank receiving opening, a protective hood in the form of an inverted cup coaxial with the locking member to cover substantially all but the lower, shank receiving, end of the locking member, and means for connecting the hood to the locking member and to the sheet-like member, said last named means in-- cluding an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom of the hood and an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom of the locking member, the locking member being in serted upwardly through an aperture in the sheet-like member, the flange on the hood being positioned on top of such sheet-like member and the flange on the locking member being positioned on the bottom of such sheet-like member, the flange on the hood having spaced tangs downwardly piercing such sheet-like member, the outer ends of the tangs being bent inwardly in a direction generally radial of the female part to overlie and tightly engage the outer edge of the flange of the locking member, such edge of the last named flange having an offset upwardly at the points of contact between it and the tangs so that the side and end edges of the tangs lie substantially flush with the main bottom surface, of said flange on the locking member. I,

4. The combination of a 1 sheet-like member and a femalepart of a lock seal; the female part 9 with the outer edge of the flange on the locking member, the height of the neck portion of the male part below the shoulder thereon, and the height of the locking member of the female part both being such that when the lock seal parts are lockingly engaged, as recited, the upper surfaces of the inbent ends of the tangs on the flange on the male part lie close to the lower surfaces of the ends of the tangs on the flange of th hood and to the lower surface of the flange on the looking member.

8. In the combination of a first member and a second member to be sealed thereto and a lock seal having a male part and a female part, one such part being affixed to the first member, the improved lock seal in which the male part has an upstanding neck portion, said neck portion having a substantially downwardly facing shoulder near a first end thereof, the first member being aiflxed to the end of the male part remote from the shoulder, the neck of the mal portion extending substantially at right angles to the extent of the first member, and the female part comprises a continuous tubular locking member having a bottom diameter slightly larger than that of the largest portion of the neck so as to receive the neck within it, said locking member having a plurality of upwardly extending prongs affixed thereto at their lower ends, said prong-s lying generally on the frustum of a cone so as to extend inwardly toward the axis of the locking member; whereby when the male member is inserted upwardly into the female member the top edges of the prongs engage the shoulder on said neck, and a protective hood in the form of an inverted cup coaxial with the locking member to cover substantially all but the neck receiving end of the looking member, and means for connecting the hood to the locking member and to th second member to be sealed, said last named means including an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom of the hood and an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom of the looking member, the locking member being inserted upwardly through an aperture in the second member to be sealed, the flange on the hood being positioned on top of such second member and the flange on the locking member being po sitioned on the bottom of such second member, the flange on the hood having spaced tangs downwardly piercing such second member, the outer ends of the tangs being bent inwardly in a direction generally radial of the female part to overlie and tightly engage the outer edge of the flange of the locking member, such edge of the last named flange having an offset upwardly at the points of contact between it and the tangs so that the side and end edges of the tangs lie substantially flush with the main bottom surface of said flang on the locking member, the height of the neck portion of the male part below the shoulder thereon, and the height of the locking member of the female part both being such that when the lock seal parts are lockingly engaged, as recited, the upper surface of the first member to be sealed lies clos to the lower surface of the inbent ends of the tangs on the flange on the hood and to the bottom surface of the second member to be sealed.

9. In the combination of a first member and a second member to be sealed thereto and a lock seal having a male part and a femal part, one such part being affixed to the first member and the other such part being aflixed to the second member, the improved lock seal in which the male part has an upstanding neck portion, said neck portion having a substantially downwardly facing shoulder near a first end thereof, th first member being affixed to the end of the male part 10 remote from the shoulder, the neck of the male portion extending substantially at right angles to the extent of the first member, and the female part comprises a continuous tubular locking member having a bottom diameter slightly larger than that of the largest portion of the neck so as to receive the neck Within it, said locking member having a plurality of upwardly extending prongs afiixed thereto at their lower ends, said prongs lying generally on the frustum of a cone so as to extend inwardly toward the axis of the locking member, whereby when the male member is inserted upwardly into the female member the top edges of the prongs engage the shoulder on said neck, and a protective hood in the form of an inverted cup coaxial with the locking member to cover substantially all but the neck receiving end of the locking member, and means for connecting the hood to the locking member and to the second member to be sealed, said last named means including an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom of the hood and an outwardly directed horizontal flange on the bottom of the locking member, the locking member being inserted upwardly through an aperture in the second member to be sealed, the flange on the hood being positioned on top of such second member and the flange on the looking member being positioned on the bottom of such second member, the flange on the hood having spaced tangs down- 4 wardly piercing such second member, the outer edge of the flange on the locking member being bent concavely downwardly at locations where the flange confronts the tangs, the outer ends of the tangs being bent upwardly into such upwardly bent portions of the flange to tightly engage the same end so that the outer edges of the tangs lie vertically above the main bottom surface of the flange on the locking member, th height of the neck portion of the male part below the shoulder thereon, and the height of the locking member of the female part both being such that when the lock seal parts are lockingly engaged, as recited, the upper surface of the first member to be sealed lies close to the lower surfaces of the inbent ends of the tangs on the flange on the hood and to the bottom surface of th second member to be sealed.

ARTHUR-H. SWETT, JR. EDWARD C. MARSHALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS 

